I have commenced a do's and don'ts list.

Feel free to add ideas in my guest book if you have other thoughts. And if you are a blogger or a lensmaster, I invite you to include your relevant link I would be happy to feature you on this lens too.

Do!
Invite people who stand out in the team to share ideas with you.

You may have to challenge yourself, your beliefs and prejudices to invite people to the group. This is excellent. Always give the team an opportunity to learn about the new person. This is not so that they will be scrutinized in a negative manner, rather so that the team can learn about all the great attributes this person has and maybe get the ideas flowing about how to draw out the brilliance inside that person.

Do!
Let the group have a say. Empower the team or they will walk off this unpaid job in a heartbeat.

Don't!
Ever dismiss an idea that the team presents.

Sometimes when an idea sounds like a bad one, it is because the person you are talking to may not be making themselves clear.

Don't rush!

Let them explain without any questions or interruptions. Consider everything and if you are unclear about the idea that they are presenting. Be sure to say something friendly like

Hey Joe, that sounds like a cool concept, (kudos for the idea) but you are a bit out of my league, I am not sure I understand (build them up a bit- everyone likes to feel brilliant and humility is beautiful), could I ask you to write down a short outline of your idea and present it to the group at the next meeting? (now you just made them the leader- you stepped sideways to let someone shine- bravo! And did you notice it is still nice and warm standing in someone else's sunshine?)

Kudos, praise, humility, an outline and sunshine!

All in one sentence! Does it get any better than this?

AND this is so powerful, because first and foremost, you are getting ready to learn something new. The idea could be the BEST EVER.

So if it is, great, adopt it and REMEMBER where the idea came from. Every time you talk about that idea to the group, it now has a title Joe's brilliant idea.

Isn't that easy and powerful? And let's face it, Joe will now have a huge incentive to create another great idea. I am sure he will like the ring of "brilliant" next to his name.

Now, back down on earth, someone in the team member might present a really BAD idea.

Maybe we will refer to it as "not presently applicable" or "worth consideration at a later time" Don't ever tell someone their ideas are doo-doo. They will never give you an idea again.

I know this sounds very basic, but trust me, I have heard people laid flat out and dismissed for presenting ideas in a mastermind. It's ugly!

Look at it this way. Bad ideas do have a value. Or at least in my silly the-cup-is-half-filled world they do. For example, someone could present "a not presently applicable idea" and now you have an outline of it and know what to avoid.

But how do you get the point where you can dismiss an idea?

Empower the team mate to tell YOU how.

Example:

Geez Joe, I never even thought of the ideas you are presenting here, this is really neat (they're still smart- you are still humble, right?)

You have done such an excellent job of spelling it out.(Ahhh a compliment, wasn't that nice)

So just for the sake of argument, play the devil's advocate and give me two examples of how maybe your idea could be turned around and not used in the great application you have envisioned. (A challenge, after kudos and a compliment- LOVE it!)

Now, Joe can look more closely at his idea and show the group its own weaknesses. He will be a lot more ready to hear a critique of the idea if it comes from him. This way, if you don't adopt it, you can empower him for his great analytical skills.

Now the conversation will be about how, thanks to Joe, we avoided an idea that might have proved disastrous for the group.

Also, you set up a precedent in the group that each idea is open to fair, objective and respectful examination and that everyone is expected to play devil's advocate with their own idea and other people's ideas. They won't be as disheartened if their idea isn't accepted into the group plan, because they will have already participated in the process of assessing ideas that are presented to the group.

Well, let's play our own devil's advocate game here. What if Joe says he can't think of anything wrong with the idea?

Ask the yes or no question to the team "Does anyone think that this is a brilliant idea aside from Joe?" Chances are there will be someone who steps up. And then ask the second question "Is anyone willing to critique this idea?" Once again, hopefully there will be someone who volunteers. Now ask them to both present their pro and con arguments.

Now Joe is out of the hot seat.

Team members are empowered to own and defend the idea.

And then the group can vote.

If the idea gets voted off, well, at this point it is no longer only about Joe and the connection between Joe and a bad idea, but now it is about the team debate and everyone is responsible.

It also might be a middle of the road idea and with an outline now everyone can add their two cents worth and now the discussion is off and running.

Middle of the road, turns in to the yellow brick road. Gotta love that.

Remember, rather than dismissing the team member's idea you have now EMPOWERED them. You have validated their contribution and given them a platform to elaborate. Remember even if you don't adopt the idea, the team member will appreciate being treated like a valuable member of the team.

Do!
Reiterate often the idea of TEAM.

Don't!
Get cute and use a lot of misplaced possessive pronouns. Ugh! I hate that.

You don't own these people. They are not YOUR team they are A team. If you make statements like "this is what I want for my team" get ready to alienate people.

Network marketers are drawn passionately to the idea of independence and once you start talking about possessing them, your credibility goes to hell in a hand basket.

Do!
Offer appropriate incentives to the team.

One of the primary goals of a master mind is to motivate the team and brainstorm. Incentives are a huge motivator. Set up realistic and do-able challenges with incentives that are enticing to the group.

I once heard a multimillionaire network marketer say that when she started her career in sales, the industry was predominately male. The sale's incentive offered to her were golf clubs. Well, she wasn't a golfer so it hardly served as an incentive. She ended up giving them to a lesser performer.

You will know which incentives to create by getting to know the group members. Or make things easy for yourself.

We live in a new age of gift cards.

Pick a dollar amount and allow the winner to choose their favorite gift card. That way the sky is the limit and once again you are empowering the team to make choices.

No one likes a dictatorship and it is so important to keep the team feeling valued.

Do!
Brainstorm and create projects.

Don't!
Give the team a to do list/assigned project and deadlines not based on a group decision.

The "leader" of the group I left decided to use the team as free labor. Ideas were imposed upon us, much like a traditional employer/employee dynamic.

I was told to commence a website and to report weekly on my progress on the development.

When I was told to develop a curriculum and teach weekly on a topic that I was required to select from a short list.

I was told to an e-book. I was told to select my chapters and have them done in a week's time.

Now how is that for taking the independence out of Independent Network Marketer?

Remember no money changes hands in a mastermind group. This is about ideas, not servitude.